FLORA OP MARION ISLAND. 483 



{TUlaa moschata, DC), occurring also in Kerguelen's Land. Suc- 

 ceeding the beach is a thick growth of herbage investing a swampy 

 black peaty soil, which covers the underlying rock more or less 

 thickly everywhere on the lower ground and extends up with the 

 herbage almost to the snow. The principal plants forming the 

 thick growth are an Accena {Accena ascendens), Azorella selago, 

 and a grass {Festuca Cookii, Hk. f.). The Accena is by far the most 

 abundant plant on the island. The Azorella forms low, convex, 

 bright green patches in intervals between the Accena or cake-like 

 masses at its roots. The grass is abundant everywhere, mingled 

 with the Accena and Azorella. The plants are, no doubt, rendered 

 especially luxuriant by the dung of the numerous sea-birds; but no 

 mutual benefit or arrangement has sprung up between the Festuca 

 and the Penguins, as it has at the Tristan d' Acunha group between 

 the Penguins and Spartina arundinacea. The Festuca nowhere 

 forms a tussock. The rookeries of King Penguins are entirely 

 bare, and the grass is not more luxuriant around the nests of the 

 Golden-crested Penguins than elsewhere. The Festuca was the 

 only grass found in flower in the island. Different-looking 

 forms were observed, especially around the numerous pools of 

 water on the hill slopes ; but they are possibly mere modifications 

 of the same grass due to alteration of condition ; none of them 

 were in flower. Hanunculus biternatus, Sm., grows abundantly, 

 especially near the sea, in damp places, creeping at the roots of 

 the larger plants ; and Callitriche antarctica, Engel., and Montia 

 fontana, L., grow in similar situations, associated as at Kerguelen's 

 -Land (Fl. Antarct.). Stellaria media, L., is abundant. Pringlea 

 antiscorbutica, Hk. f., is, at least in the part of the island explored, 

 t>y no means so abundant as at Kerguelen's Land. It was some 

 time before a plant was found ; but subsequently a good many 

 were met with, but not growing in groups of more than four or 

 five plants. Some were found on the very verge of the shore, 

 Within reach of the spray, and the rest on the banks of a small 

 nvulet. The cabbage was mostly in full flower and bud, with 

 sepals and anthers complete. No plants were found with seed 

 at all ripe. The last year's seeds were decayed. This plant at 

 least would appear to have a regular summer flowering-season, 

 since Dr. Hooker found only the fruit at Kerguelen's land in the 

 winter. Both the Accena and the Ranunculus are common, grow- 

 ing in the water-pools almost as water-plants, with long tendril- 

 ke r oot-fibres. The Hanunculus becomes more and more 



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